Colgate University Top Questions

What is your overall opinion of this school?

Heather

Starting answering Colgate University is an amazing environment with exceptional academics, a beautiful campus, incredible faculty and students, many opportunities for involvement, and overall is a really fun and enjoyable atmosphere. There are a plethora of different classes offered to the students. Any given student could take a wide assortment of classes ranging from a class in neuroscience to one in performance arts . Similarly, students are granted access to a number of resources provided by the campus. Aside from the conventional resources like the library and food services, a student can also experience resources such as the various technology labs, the museum in the Ho Science Center (which even has a dinosaur egg on display), and so much more. The academic and research opportunities are endless. Likewise, there are multitude of opportunities for involvement here at Colgate. For instance, I am involved in the SAT tutoring program, admissions, funding initiatives for the school, and various other philanthropy groups. I even have been able to become certified in Suicide prevention! Aside from the areas I am involved with, there are so many other opportunities, clubs, activities to participate in. Just to name a few there are opportunities with sports at the club and intramural levels. One could also partake in activities such as Student Government, the Colgate Activities Board , or Greek life if he or she were to be interested in event planning and leadership opportunities, in general. There are also chances to get involved with the arts, by either participating in an acapella group, a play, a theater group, taking one of the many art classes offered, the choir, or dance groups. Since Colgate is a smaller school it is very simple to partake and inquire about these various activities. The smaller size is also conducive to students being able to make a greater impact on the institution and are easily able to contact and meet with different members of the administration. Here at Colgate, the students' voices really do matter. Overall, Colgate University is a truly wonderful, intimate, and enjoyable atmosphere that offers it's students so many incredible opportunities. I could not be happier!

patrick

I'm the ninth person in my family to come to colgate and I have grown up going to colgate events and always knew it was where I wanted to go, and in my third year I would not change a single thing about my experience here and I regret nothing. best decision of my life. I spend a lot of time at the chapel, which may seem dorky but i have met some pretty interesting people there, and most of them aren't actual jesus freaks and do go out and party 3 nights a week. Biggest controversy recently? that would have been the racist comments posted on the school newspaper website, but the campus came together and had a not completely successful discussion but it was surprising to see how many people came out to show their support to denounce the comments. Hamilton is 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} a college town, the university is deeply invested in the "downtown" and supports many of the businesses there. Students complain about evenly between campus safety (campo) and reslife, the residential life office which is in charge of everyone's housing arrangements. But the best thing about Colgate, is how willing and supportive alumni are for students, alumni usually do support their Alma Mater, but at Colgate if you find someone who also went their they will usually go out of their way to help you with an internship, career advice, maybe a job, and all they usually ask for is a story about your time at Colgate or to tell them what is going on at 'gate. As for size, it is pretty small, but there are just enough people that you can meet someone new everyday, and it is small enough that you don't feel alone, if you don't run into one person on the quad between classes I would be surprised.

Jim

Colgate is a party school with a good academic reputation. The school tries to provide 'alternatives to drinking' but lets be real, how many movies and trivia nights can you really go to before your bored to death with them.

James

Colgate kids are competitive, in both the classroom and outside of it and the Colgate mantra of "work hard, play harder" absolutely rings true. The natural beauty on this campus is unparalleled, and after going to a school this small I cannot imagine going to something as large and impersonal as a state school. I love saying hello to 10 kids I know on morning walk to class. There definatly is a 'Colgate Type' though, and those who do not fit the mold would probably have a much better college experience somewhere else.

Laura

Colgate is perfect. You can still walk across campus and not recognize a sinlge person at certain times, and in other situations you'll know everyone in the room. The town of Hamilton revolves around Colgate. Its super safe and theres always tons to do. Colgate fosters a family-oriented feeling among students and alumni that lasts way beyond graduation.

Ryan

The big picture is a small one at Colgate. The school's community is a small and friendly one. Students are able to create strong friendships with their peers and are able to create relationships with professors. Students are especially able to form strong friends with their dorm mates as it is often too cold to venture out of your housing. But the indoors can be fun, as most students are drunk during a good portion of th week. If you want to avoid alcohol, you can, but with much difficulty at Colgate. The upside of this is that if you don't have much work one night, you can always find people to party and get drunk with it. All around, good times.

Alex

Colgate is a great school with strong academics. Even though some people have never heard of it, those who have know its a good school. Being a fairly small school (2800) but having Division I athletics, Colgate has some identity issues with itself. Its caught somewhere between the NESCAC small schools with serious academics and the big athletic powerhouse universities. It's kind of crunchy, but at the same time its a very preppy student body. There is no shortage of wealthy kids at Colgate. It's a beautiful campus, but the huge hill that its built on makes moving around a pain sometimes. The center of campus is definitely the academic quadrangle with the chapel on it, but only freshman can really live near this. Juniors have to live down the hill, about a 15 minute walk, and many seniors live off-campus. As most liberal arts schools do, Colgate gets itself off on issues like diversity and global warming. The administration seems fairly reasonable and the President even has open office hours, but it is a bureaucracy like any other school. For freshmen and sophomores, Frank dining hall is the main place to eat. Food is decent but nothing exceptional and after a semester students have had more than enough of it. Colgate brings alot of very interesting speakers to campus. One of my favorites was D'nesh D'souza. I'm not even sure if thats how you spell it.

Brooke

Colgate is just right in almost every sense. It is a liberal arts college but a university at the same time, making it one of the largest liberal arts colleges and one of the smallest universities. The intro classes tend to be on the larger side (anywhere from 40 to 150 students) but upper level classes are usually no bigger than 30 (as small as 6). Additionally, some classes are discussion based and others are lectures. You can therefore choose classes based on the size you want and the type of learning that best suits you. Hamilton is the picturesque college town, with everything catering to the wants and needs of the student body. There is at least 1 of everything in what we refer to as "downtown." But the seemingly isolated area of central New York adds to the closeness of the Colgate community.

Shannon

Although it may appear that Colgate is too small, with a student body of 2800 students, the size is just right. Professors are accessible, many taking students out to class dinners at the Colgate Inn or Merrill House. Colgate is located in the adorable village/town of Hamilton, NY. Yes, the nearest mall is 45 to 60 minutes away, but this allows for great stuff to go on right ON CAMPUS. Students take the "Colgate Cruiser" downtown to go out to eat, study at the barge, go out at night, grocery shopping.

Meghan

When people start the college search a lot of people are concerned with going to a large school. I always saw myself at a large school but Colgate is not even three thousand students which may seem small in comparison to large state universities but if you're worried about seeing too many familiar faces, don't be. Every day I see a new face and when you're out at night its always nice to go out and always have someone there that you know. That brings me to the students. School Pride is overwhelming at Colgate. I remember one day as a parent commented on how many Colgate sweatshirts were worn around campus. I would attribute this pride to both the location, range of students and the university's goal to create campus wide involvement and pride.

allison

I really enjoy the small, intimate classroom sizes. The campus is also very beautiful. I would change some of the ResLife policies. I think some of them are a little absurd such as charging a fee for "inappropriate check in and check out." I'd also change their policies about parking up the hill between 7am and 3pm or atleast work on the Cruiser schedules and efficiency. I think Colgate is, overall, just right in size. My freshman year I attended the University of Wisconsin which has a student body of about 44, 000. That environment was too overwhelming for me, so I am really pleased about the smaller atmosphere at Colgate. However, at times, it can definitely feel a little too small which is only emphasized by the size of Hamilton. People generally sound impressed when I say I go to Colgate. It obviously has quite an outstanding reputation and that is reflected by the comments I receive. Hamilton is in the middle of nowhere. It's a cute and quaint town, but it gets a little tiring going to the same places over and over again. I'm pretty pleased with Colgate's administration. Biggest recent controversy was over the scandal with the college gossip website in which a student made a threatening remark that caused the school to go into a tizzy. I'm actually not that impressed with our student body pride. At sporting events, it seems that not that many students end up attending or there just isn't a lot of cheering and enthusiasm.

Scott

Colgate is a fun place despite what people say about how it is in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do. There is always something fun to do whether it is drinking or other. The only problem is that the administration hates fun and wants to get rid of fraternities.

Wil

Colgate is a small community of leaders and innovators. The best thing about Colgate is the passion that everyone has for the place and making it better. Colgate is undoubtedly a college town with a majority of the downtown establishments being connected to the university. The administration is receptive and friendly and willing to work with students.

Jack

Colgate is amazing. It is a glorified country club where we earn an "education". We call it the Colgate bubble because that's what it is and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's the perfect size in the sense that whereever you are you always know someone, yet you never stop meeting new people. The best things about Colgate are the parties, THE JUG, the professors, the small campus (everything is within walking distance), and the natural beauty of the school. The worst part is the administration which is generally uptight and trying to ruin the school's party reputation. They should let it be. The reason kids come to Colgate in the first place is because they are looking for the perfect balance between work and play. We are a school with a great academic reputation as well as a school that likes to "get down" as the kids say. The most recent controversy was when some kid said on Juicycampus.com that he could shoot up the school and everyone went apeshit. There is school pride (but no athletic pride really with the exception of hockey) and the most common student complaint is the bitter cold during the winter months.

Torry

In my opinion, Colgate provides the perfect college experience. Academically, it's top notch. Most students make personal relationships with almost all of their professors. Professors are always more than willing to reach out to students, have lunch with them, help them, answer last minute questions on their home number at 3 a.m. etc. There is always research being conducted as with most larger institutions and Colgate is very accommodating to students whose interests are not met on campus. Colgate even got all students to see the Dalai Llama on campus this spring! In light of arts and athletics, Colgate is also hard to beat. Colgate athletics are a large part of the community, I think, as everyone knows some athletes personally and that sporting events draw in a large pool of the community (or at least the tail gates do...). With several patriot league championships earned this year alone, how could Colgate students not feel a sense of pride when supporting their school. As for the arts, Colgate has wonderful programs. I love having classes in Ryan and Dana so I can admire all the beautful work on the way to class. Colgate's always bringing in great performances for the students, like everything from world class piano players and jazz groups to African Art troupes to modern photography exhibits. Most schools have amazing opportunities like that for their students, but I feel that at Colgate, everything is more personalized for the students and hits closer to home as it is a smaller institution. As for the social scene, my Colgate experience has far exceeded what any College Prowler told me it would be. Although it's a small school, I am constantly meeting new people. As a freshman, there is not a lot to do if you don't like to party, which I think is Colgate's biggest problem. However, Colgate's location is beautiful and I always make my family just drive around the surrounding area when they come because it is so beautiful. Hamilton is also home to Big Norm: the world's largest pig! Norm is quite the attraction and you can ride him for $1 although on most days he doesn't move. Greek life is a large part of the Colgate scene, but it's very different than most other schools. Colgate students do not rush until the fall of their sophmore year which gives time for students to make their own friends for a year first and really get to know people in all different kinds of groups before commiting to one. Also, Greek life isn't as serious as it is at larger institutions. For the most part, everyone gets along and Beta guys will hang out with Sigma guys with no animosity. Everyone just likes to party together. The sorority scene is nothing terrible either. Each sorority takes large pledge classes and are really nice and accepting you most always get bids to which ever you want. Overall, the greek life is just a way to get to know people without being on a sports team and provides great parties! Other than the Greek scene, Colgate students for the most part get along. I meet new people all the time and most of campus can be seen intermingling on a Saturday night in the Old Stone Jug or eating Slices (the famous one slice New York Pizzeria). Colgate provides the perfect blend of the academia of an Ivy League, the school spirit and athletics of a Big 10, the small feel of a rural, safe small town school, and the party scene of animal house.

Charlie

Colgate is an interesting school. Sure, it's interesting that we share the name of a popular brand of toothpaste, but by that statement I'm referring to the fact that in the span of one week, you can hear a lecture on happiness by the Dalai Lama himself and live out that lesson by attending an OkGo concert during Spring Party Weekend. Obviously, Colgate University is multi-faceted. There is a heavy emphasis on scholarship, of course, but we are not just about the serious stuff in life. We can laugh at the silly dentist school jokes our family members crack, but we're also capable of coming up with witty retorts. We use the multi-million dollar Ho Science Center for labs and a quiet space to study, but its planetarium also comes in handy for watching the Magic School Bus. We're a veritable oxymoron: tanned students in the middle of a Central New York winter, a small school with a big-campus attitude. Without it, we'd probably just be Colgate "College".

Alex

The size and location of Colgate are perfect for my tastes. I'm a townie from a big state university, so Colgate's close and intimate environment were the main attractions for me. Colgate's administration, in my experience, is very efficient in dealing with students. Although they've made some very disagreeable decisions over the years (see DKE affair), the administration has given the campus very nice new facilities (Ho Science Center, Case Library) and helps keep Colgate running smoothly. Downtown Hamilton itself is a very nice little town with nice people who like Colgate (and Colgate students with fat wallets), but outside of the immediate town the countryside seems poor.

Whitney

The education is amazing, the Professors are all wonderful and the size of the school is great! The student to teacher ratio is 10:1 which means you have an opportunity to know your Professors on a more personal level. The class sizes are smaller so discussion is a main factor really making the learning environment much more interactive and enjoyable. The town is pretty small, and far from any city but it is very nice and all the necessities are nearby. The athletic facilities are very nice, except for maybe one or two. When people hear that you are attending Colgate or have graduated from there they are always very impressed and it is very useful when applying for jobs. The Alumni network is incredible. It is large and spreads throughout the world giving many connections in order to find jobs or internships. Most complaints about the school are the amount of homework, the smallness of the town, and the distance from any large city.

Kathleen

Colgate's faculty is top notch, and I love how the school is isolated. This environment has fostered passions and nurtured friendships for all of us. I hated Colgate freshman year--very few students seemed intellectual or genuiniely interested in academics, and Greek life dominated the social scene. I decided against rushing sophomore year, and for a while I felt left out of a lot of rights of passage and traditions at Colgate. However, I tried as hard as possible to maintain an open mind. It took a lot of hard work for me to enjoy Colgate, but once I found my niche(s), I couldn't be happier. I've learned to love Hamilton and the idea of being guaranteed to see my fellow classmates wherever I choose to go on a Friday or Saturday night. I've developed interests and passions, and close relationships with professors. Colgate's size is perfect--small enough to know everyone and to have personal attention and access to various resources, and large enough to offer a variety of research opportunities, etc. A lot of the criticisms are true: Colgate students are mostly preppy and White; Hamilton is small, isolated, and cold; Greek life dominates the social scene, etc.; but if you trust yourself and your ability to find your niche despite all of this, you will be rewarded, and you will grow to love Colgate!

Patrick

If you want to go to a school that offers you a great opportunity for success after college than Colgate is the place to go. The alumni network is unbelievable and the alumni are very accessible.

Nina

Colgate really stands true to its small size. You get a lot of attention from faculty and are introduced to experiences you might not have at a large school. Colgate is also very tapped into national/international resources - which is so surprising for its small size. The education is amazing and I know that there is no better place I could have gone. Socially, Colgate is very Greek oriented. The majority of students are not Greek, but the majority of students who are more oriented to partying are Greek. Nonetheless, the Greek system at Colgate isn't as strict as most schools and certainly not like the south. It's just a way to have big parties and an established social group. The college 'village' is a traffic light. It's very small and there isn't a lot of shopping or things like that in Upstate New York. This also works to Colgate's advantage because they rule the village and basically no one ever gets into serious trouble. There isn't a ton of school pride at sporting events. We're division 1, but the school is small so fans are spread out across the different sports. School spirit picks up once you're an alum because you realize what an amazing time you had at Colgate.

Lindsay

Colgate is one of the happiest, friendliest places I've ever been. Students are just so happy to be there. Though people often stick with their friends, it is not cliquey; students branch out and have friends from different activities or classes they are involved in or just people they met and hit it off with. Yes, we know how to party, and love to do so, but we also love to do well in school, and we are a driven, successful bunch. We work hard, pack the library, form study groups, get highly esteemed internships, etc. People not from Colgate are skeptical about how people can enjoy life in a small town like Hamilton, NY. Truth is, we love it! The closeness brings everyone together. And speaking of closeness and small, no, we are not too small a school. I meet people I didn't previously know all the time! Literally, every weekend I meet someone new.

Michelle

The best thing about Colgate is the community aspect it stresses. Since Colgate is located in central New York with a lack of travel opportunities, most students remain on campus throughout the year. This allows deep relationships to form among the students. Even though from the outside others believe that Colgate and the town of Hamilton is too small to have a social life, I do not feel restricted at all. Fraternity parties are great as well as the townhouses and the off campus houses and apartments. The bars are usually the party scene for seniors while the Jug is a dance club/bar for all to enjoy. Hamilton is truly a college town which is awesome because it basically expands the campus even further. Colgate pride is apparent and is seen when students return to their home friends and try to explain the amazingness that is Colgate but just have to settle with the fact that no one will understand outside the students.

Joe

Colgate is college. Work hard play hard.

Emily

The best thing about Colgate is the community. Colgate students and alumni LOVE the school and just knowing someone else is from Colgate immediately makes you like them, simply because of that fact. The campus is extremely friendly and close-knit and everyone is very well rounded. Most students excel in academics, sports, extracurriculars and still manage to find time to go out and have fun.

Charlene

Colgate is an amazing school with a beautiful campus. The students and professors are all exceedingly nice and it is clear how important education is to all who go there. The town of Hamilton is small but the close community makes it a friendly place to go to school. You spend a lot of time studying and working hard but there are always fun things going on that you can use as a distraction.

Evan

Great size and lots of good people around if you're willing to search. I would want more people to take a stand for what they believe in and to try to help the surrounding community. We live in a poor county and most people do nothing to improve the lives and their interactions with the surrounding communities. Kind of insular. People respect the name, which is good, but that's not a good reason for anyone to go anywhere. Go for your EXPERIENCE. There could be more of a town around, but you have to do the best you can with what you've got. It's also eye-opening to see a different kind of life, and I think we all have a lot to learn about different ways of life--they exist everywhere. The administration has a lot to deal with, and deals with a lot poorly, but I'm sure it's no worse than most other comparable schools. I will never forget most of my experiences here, and that's a great thing. Even the bad ones teach us a lot; always a good thing to keep in mind.

Blake

The administration and faculty do really care, so long as you make the effort to actually get to know them. Sometimes the school can feel a bit claustrophobic, especially when driving elsewhere is not an option. Most people haven't heard of Colgate, or if they have they only mention something about academics or cardiac hill. The most recent controversy deals with juicycampus.com, where a student posted a threat that ended up shutting down the campus. There is a good amount of school pride, but everyone is pretty apathetic. You have to find your little group at Colgate and stick with them- you'll be able to find some really cool people if you look.

Ande

Colgate is not exactly a mecca of diversity but you can find a lot of really great things, opportunities, and people here. It's a small town but it doesn't get boring because everyone is usually so busy that they can't possibly take advantage of everything. The Greek life is pretty strong which has been a friction point between students/alumni and the administration. Even so, as a non-Greek I don't find it too oppressive of a culture. People have their different groups of friends and that's that. The party culture is pretty strong and the social scene wears thin by the end (there aren't a whole lot of places to go) but there are alternatives as well.

Caroline

Colgate is the most beautiful campus I have ever seen, though it is somewhat in the middle of nowhere. Hamilton doesn't have much to offer by way of entertainment, but the places in town are well loved by students and frequented often. Students spend most of their time on campus, but a lot get away on the weekends to go to neighboring cities or universities. Colgate is the perfect size, with about 3000 students. It is neither too large nor too small. You can avoid the people you dont want to see, but you don't walk very far without seeing a familiar face. There is a lot of school pride that extends not just to athletics, but to general pride in what this school has to offer. We are D1, so that is a great source of school spirit, but we also have unique elements that makes colgate truly special. For example, we just had the Dalai Lama come speak here, and for such a small school, it was a major accomplishment.

Jessica

I like the size of our school. I do wish it was a little closer to shopping centers. The good thing about a small town is that it is easy to get into trouble and stay innocent. The library is a great tool to go do work out or just chill with friends.

Jill

Colgate is located in the middle of no where New York. It took me a year and a semester to finally get used to that, but since then I have found myself amazing group of friends and I am still always meeting new people even with a small student population. By senior year Colgate begins to feel more like a family. You are able to build awesome relationships with professors and faculty that is rare at larger schools. Gary Ross, Dean of Admissions, is the most amazing guy in this earth!

Jesse

Colgate is a SMALL (2,800) private liberal arts college located in the middle of no-where, Up-state NY. The winters tend to come early and stay long, and the weather can become depressing if you are used to a lot of sun exposure (i.e. Texans, Floridians, Californians, etc.) Hamilton, NY is deffinitely a college town, but a small college town. The population of Hamilton is around the same size of the school, which makes for a tiny community. However, because the town is so small, everything is accesible via walking. There are bad things I could say about Colgate but overall my time here was more positive than negative. The biggest thing about Colgate is how safe you feel- I never locked my doors over my four years here.

Steve

I think Colgate is great, maybe a little small with only 2800 students. When you say you go to Colgate it automatically seperates from most college students because Colgate is a very prestigious school. Hamilton is not really a college town, but it has some good bars and places for students to hang out. A good amount of food places. There is not a great amount of school pride, as most students just come here to get a good education. The alumni connections, though, are some of the best in the country. Pretty much a garunteed job upon graduation. The best experience at Colgate is Spring Party Weekend which takes place near the end of April every year. About 4 days straight of frat parties, BBQ's, and more partying. It gets crazy and is fun as hell.

Alex

Small enough to know a lot of people, big enough to not see everyone you know on a daily basis; everyone from my hometown thought I was going to a dentistry school and asked me if I also applied to Crest and Aquafresh; I spend most of my time in the library or in my room studying 24/7; complete college town; administration is way too traditional; biggest controversy was the gun threat that happened during March, yet the kid still attends the school; fair amount of school pride; best experience is freshman night at the Jug

Cody

What they say about the "Colgate bubble" is true. We're in a very isolated and rural area, 45 minutes from Syracuse and Utica. Great for fostering college community, but unless you try especially hard, you won't meet many people off campus.

Colleen

One thing many people wonder about is Colgate's relative isolation, and connected with that are queries about its size. Yes, Colgate is in a very small town - Hamilton, NY is only 2800 people, roughly the same size as the school. I come from a big city and often miss much of the conveniences of home, but I actually love living in a small town. You see people you know everywhere, as there are only so many places to frequent. You can greet shopkeepers and salespeople by name, and know all the bartenders well. Not having very many options of things to do really makes you find your own fun, and people don't often leave on the weekends. If you find yourself itching to get out, there are malls and larger movie theaters within 40 miles, and it is always fun to road trip to NYC or Boston on the weekends. As for Colgate's size, I think it is perfect. It is small enough that you see people you know everywhere you go on campus - you can always go to the dining hall alone and find people you know to sit with, or you run into people at the gym, the library, and just walking around. The same goes with professors; I run into professors in the hallways of my buildings all the time, and they are always eager to chat with me about how my life is going. That is also a benefit - my professors actually know my name, my interests, my activities, and my background, since classes are small enough where we can get to know each other. I really like to actually TALK to my professors... they are most often very interesting people with neat lives outside of the classroom. At the same time, Colgate is large enough that you continue to meet new people all the time. I have met fellow seniors this year whose names I had never even heard before. All in all, it is a comfortable place where you never feel alone, yet not small enough to be boring.

Andy

The best thing about Colgate is the community. During orientation and any other event that gathers huge groups of people, presenters will always elaborate on this quality until it is ingrained in everyone's head. When you are a freshman, the school seems huge, but once you become an upperclassman, you realize how small it actually is and how you practically know everyone in your class by name. Professors here know you by name and will embrace anyone who shows a true passion in their studies. Furthermore,they are able to provide personalized attention and excellent recommendations that you wouldn't be able to get at a larger university. Students are generally happy with their decision to go to Colgate. They enjoy their classes and are extremely active in varsity sports, club sports, clubs and groups, volunteering, campus jobs, mentoring, tutoring and other extracurricular activities. There is a decent amount of school pride, although varsity sports teams such as basketball struggle to maintain a fan base. Living in Hamilton, New York for four years can be trying on some due to limited stores, bars, restuarants, activitites and students often feel ready to leave when it is time.

Daniel

If you don't think you belong at Colgate, you probably don't. One of the biggest issues the school has been dealing with is diversity (or lack thereof). Of course, the school creates things like an African-American themed dorm, but kids end up living there starting freshman year and never end up mixing with everyone else. The school's administration is really incompetent when it comes to things like that. They have increased the school's endowment by about $200 mil since I've been here (if that matters to anyone). There are two main problems with Colgate: the location and the weather. Colgate is located in central New York, i.e., the middle of nowhere. If you drive a mile in either direction away from Colgate, you're in the cornfields. The closest cities to Colgate are Utica and Syracuse, and those are about 45 minutes-an hour away. One interesting attraction is Turning Stone Casino, which 30 minutes away and allows 18 year olds to play. The town itself is the intersection of Lebanon and Broad. It is very small, but more or less has everything you need. A complaint I hear from other people a lot is the notoriously slow service in all the restaurants, which are operated by townies who very clearly despise Colgate students. The main problem with the town is that the locals consider Colgate students to be walking in on their turf. The town does not cater to the needs of the college, as all restaurants except 1 close early (even on weekends). As for the weather, I believe it truly ruins the school. We have a beautiful campus, but you will never, ever see people lying out on the grass or chilling outside other than the first two weeks in the fall and the last two in the spring. One of the main results of this, I think, is increased emphasis of cliques and little social mixing. Either way, Colgate would be a million times better if there were nice weather for more of the year. The school really undergoes a transformation during the brief time when the sun comes out.

Brittany

I feel that Colgate is just the right size, it's bigger than the average liberal arts school but smaller than a state university. You get to know people very well, but there's always someone to meet. Outside people are impressed with Colgate students--we have a very good reputation. Classes are divided, freshman and sophmores live "up the hill" and the upperclassmen live "down the hill", therefore the younger students spend much more time on campus. We live in a very small town, so it basically revolves around Colgate and the students. Colgate's administration is pretty bad. They try hard to please the students but don't listen to the students wants. The same things have tried to be passed in the past four years, unsuccessfully--especially aspects about the "cruiser" or bus system we have. If you like Colgate as it is when you get here, that's great, because it's not going to change. Colgate has a lot of school pride, not as much as it had, but we are still a big sports school so that has a lot to do with it.

Sarah

The best thing about Colgate is how students and professors interact with one antoher. The size of the school is small enough to feel at home, but large enough to still meet new people each day. When people hear that I attend Colgate University, they are always impressed due to its reputation. While on campus, I spend most of my time in neighboring freshman dorms. Hamilton, NY is truly a college town, as the students make up a large portion of the towns population. The Colgate administration is very proud of the institution as a whole and its students, they truly immerse themselves in the Colgate scene. One of the biggest controversies on campus at the moment is the institution's ownership of the Greek life houses. School spirit is always on high at Colgate. Unusual events frequently occur on campus, as each student is an interesting individual with different ideas. Many students frequently complain about the food here, however, they find themselves frequenting the dining halls very often (not only for the food but for the social atmosphere)

John

The 'gate is the best place on Earth!!!

Angelica

The best thing that comes with Colgate is the name. You tell someone you go to Colgate, and all of a sudden they have everything to say to you.

Becca

Colgate is a small, rural college with small, intimate classes. For me, as a Japanese major and an Outdoor Education staff member, it is the perfect place to study, make friends, and play in the outdoors. The language program here is very good, and the teachers are great (at least in the Japanese department). The Adirondacks are pretty close for hiking and skiing is only 45 minutes away in the winter. Plus, there are trails around campus that are perfect for running, biking, or skiing in the winter.

Jon

Colgate is a gorgeous school built onto a hill, overlooking a lake with swans and willow trees. If you're looking for a secluded, beautiful campus with a strong sense of community, this is the place for you. Everyone here is really friendly, and this is one of the safest places I've ever been. On the flip side, the town is small, so if you need to go to Wal-mart, be prepared to drive for a half hour (assuming you have a car). For better or for worse, by the end of your college experience, you will probably know more than half the campus. So it's great to go anywhere and see people you know, but it can be awkward when you hook up with someone and the next day, everyone on campus knows. It's also not a good dating campus, because your friends are your significant other's friends, and despite breaking up, you may still see your ex daily. On another note, this is an incredibly diverse campus. I guarantee that at least one of your best friends will live on an entirely different continent.

caryn

People may ask...why Colgate? It's in the middle of nowhere. It may not be in the middle of NYC or Chicago, but that's what makes it Colgate. We are a community that enjoys being at Colgate with one another and spending time on campus. From lying out in the Hamilton green, playing softball on Whitnall field, or watching Dancefest in the chapel there is always something to do without leaving campus.

John

Colgate, on the whole, is fantastic. This past year has been one of the best of my life. Between its relatively small size, absolutely incredible events and speakers that come here (i.e. Dali Lama, Ben Stein, etc) and the fact that even though there is no "town" per se, there is always something to do on campus Colgate is great. Even if you want to maintain the sober lifestyle there's always something to do. Although I recommend you come here with the intention to drink. It makes life much easier.

Whitney

Colgate life is pretty much spent within a bubble. We do not really get to experience life outside of Colgate. The town is really small and seems as if it's only there for our use. It sometimes gets boring and kind of repetitive. It's also in the middle of nowhere and the closest city is Syracuse, which isn't too exciting. It snows way too much. It snowed till April this year. The cold is unbelievable. The snow is one of the things I dislike the most about Colgate. You feel trapped.

Susan

Best thing about Colgate is the student body, we are all smart, motivated people who are truly kind and generous. One thing I'd change is the weather, it's cloudy and rainy from November-March. For me, the size of Colgate is just right, it seems a bit small at times but it's comforting to know that everywhere you go you will see someone you know. I spend majority of my time either in the dining hall, in the training room (work), sleeping in my bed or at the library. The town (village) of Hamilton is nice, but very small. Not a whole lot to do and we are very isolated, but the college does a great job of providing things to do and access to daily needs. There is very little school pride when it comes to sports. First football game is probably the best attended sporting events. There is a lot of grumbling about Colgate's administration and the tight regulations that it imposes on the curriculum. The most frequent complaint is the strictness of the dining halls on meals.

Gene

Colgate is in the middle of nowhere in upstate New York and I thought that I wouldn't really notice that fact, but it ended up that I did. The town is one intersection big and a lot of the time it seems like there is nothing to do here but drink/go out. There's a movie theater, but the popcorn tastes bad. The town is cute, the people are nice, other towns aren't too far away. If you don't have a car though, you might end up feeling trapped. People tend to find their groups of friends really quickly and easily and for those that do, college at Colgate is amazing. For those that don't find that group, it sometimes feels like it's really hard to get into one/to find a place to belong. Almost everyone here loves it, but I've found some reasons not to. I don't have a close group of friends and find it difficult to integrate myself into groups to call them my best friends. I don't play a sport and, as a high school athlete, that was a huge void to fill. Classes can be boring sometimes or they can be alright. The work load isn't too bad and there's lots of time to get the work doe if you're not playing a sport. I find it easy to be lazy here and not want to partake in things that are going on.